Reacting to the publication, today, of the latest UK employment figures, which have seen unemployment levels fall by 115,000 to 1.96 million, Bernard Brown, partner and head of business services at KPMG, says:
“The good news about the jobs market continues, but a reduction in the number of unemployed people doesn’t necessarily mean British business is back to its best. We are still seeing a slowdown in salary growth and while the reins are being pulled on take home pay, the economy will continue to trot along, rather than gallop.
“Our own research suggests that companies want to pay more – they need to if they are to recruit the best talent – but until they can afford to do so we will be stuck in a cycle which sees jobs going unfilled. It’s too easy to expect people to accept jobs despite the low pay on offer, when the truth is that they need to earn a wage that gives them enough to live on. If we are to tackle long-term unemployment a balance must be found between what employers can afford to pay and what employees can afford to live on.”